Pope Paul III

Pope Paul III (29 February 1468-10 November 1549), born Alessandro Farnese, was the Pope of the Papal States from 1534 to 1549, succeeding Pope Clement VII and preceding Pope Julius III.

Biography
Alessandro Farnese was born to the wealthy House of Farnese, and was the brother of Giulia Farnese, the mistress of Spanish noble Rodrigo Borgia. When Borgia became Pope Alexander VI in 1492, Giulia convinced him to make Alessandro a cardinal. He was mockingly called the "Borgia Brother-in-Law" and Cardinal Fregnese ("Cardinal Cunt") due to his connections to the corrupt and incestuous House of Borgia. In 1534, he was elected as Pope Paul III, and was a patron of the arts, inviting artists such as Titian to his court. He also fought against the rise of Protestantism, allying with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire against the Schmalkadic League. He died in 1549, succeeded by Pope Clement VII.